Counter-Trafficking Casework Volunteer

The Counter-Trafficking team at HBF is a small but very busy team; it works with people who have been trafficked for all forms of exploitation and supports them in their involvement in the National Referral Mechanism (NRM), asylum and criminal justice systems. The Counter-Trafficking programme provides access to vital ongoing contact and safeguarding support for clients to ensure that they are kept safe and that their risks from others are minimised. The team takes a holistic approach which is tailored to the specific needs of clients, who have experienced human trafficking for sexual exploitation, forms of forced labour and/or criminal exploitation, amongst others.

As a Counter-Trafficking volunteer, you will be trained to take an active role in the administrative and casework load of the team, and to help to provide pastoral support for our clients. This includes online filing, collating case materials (legal, clinical and other) to provide client chronologies, supporting the process of counter-trafficking assessments and other appointments, meeting remotely and in person with clients and engaging in tasks required to support the team. This is a fast-paced role, vital for the proper functioning of the team. You will be exposed to very traumatic information, but you will have careful, friendly supervision from a positive staff team in all aspects of your work.

Main tasks and activities

·       Entering client data into our CMS database

·       Supporting Counter-Trafficking team staff with organising and booking client appointments

·       Collating legal and other case materials, writing up clients’ chronologies and drafting letters

·       Follow up calls with clients and/or professionals involved in cases

·       Meeting remotely or in person with clients alongside Counter-Trafficking team staff members

·       Taking clear and comprehensive notes at meetings with and about clients

·       Researching and collating key data and information for clients and the staff team

·       Administrative tasks as required by the team

Skills and Experience

          Needed:

·       Understanding of, and commitment to, the objectives of the Helen Bamber Foundation.

·       A demonstrable empathy for our clients, including asylum seekers, refugees and survivors of torture and human trafficking.

·       Experience of working with asylum seekers, refugees and survivors of human trafficking & awareness of the challenges they may face.

·       A high level of understanding of the duty of confidentiality when considering the sensitive information that the Counter-Trafficking team handles.

·       A respect for the principles of diversity and human rights.

·       Strong organisational skills and attention to detail.

·       Strong time management and prioritisation skills.

·       Willingness to learn and ability to adapt in a fast-moving environment.

·       Comfortable using Office 365 (in particular Outlook, Word & Excel).

Desired:

·       Experience of supporting asylum seekers, refugees or survivors of human trafficking and exploitation.

·       Fast touch-typing and document formatting skills.

·       Experience with client management database programs and spreadsheet software.

·       Experience organising client documents, producing chronologies and histories.

What you will get out of the role

·       Experience of using trauma-informed methods of working with survivors.

·       A better understanding of the legal systems relating to the National Referral Mechanism, the asylum system and refugee procedures in the UK.

·       A stronger understanding of law enforcement and the criminal justice system as it relates to survivors of trafficking.

·       An understanding of the multi-disciplinary care that survivors of trafficking require, including working with therapy, medical, housing and welfare and advocacy teams.

·       Confidence in using interpreters to communicate with clients.

·       Stronger and faster administrative skills.

·       Ability to process large amounts of data and prioritise or categorise it.

·       Experience of writing clear content and reports.

·       An ability to multi-task between competing priorities.

Equal Opportunities

The Helen Bamber Foundation and Asylum Aid is an equal opportunities and Living Wage employer. We are committed to attracting and recruiting diverse candidates as we are keen to make sure that our staff, trustees, volunteers and ambassadors reflect the communities we serve and the wider community we work in at every level within the organisation. We particularly welcome applications from those from Black, Asian, Minority-Ethnic, refugee and migrant backgrounds. 

We cannot cover any expenses for remote volunteering, but for days spent at the office or accompanying clients to appointments, we reimburse travel and lunch expenses.

Successful candidates will be offered the volunteer position subject to an Enhanced DBS check. Owing to the high number of applications we receive, we regret that we are only able to contact applicants who are shortlisted for interview.